The Tail End of It All
by Supervillegirl
Summary: Part 17 of my Tail series. The final showdown with the worst villain Sherlock and John have ever come across.


The Tail End of It All

**The final installment! And, yes, it's a little long.**

* * *

Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade approached the walkway to St. Katharine Pier, glancing around nervously, but there was no sign of this Celine as of yet. But he had no doubt that she would be there. You don't just deliver an ultimatum like that and not show.

He turned and headed over to the officers grouped in the middle of the plaza near the Beach Bar. "All right, lads. We don't exactly know what we're dealing with, but we know she's powerful, and she's basically just declared war on England. If we don't take her down here, she'll be unstoppable. She wants a fight? We'll give her one."

The officers assembled in front of him nodded emphatically, some hefting rifles up. They were prepared to defend the memory of the twelve officers who had died in the New Scotland Yard building collapse.

Lightning flashed above as thunder crashed. Lestrade spun around towards the edge of the embankment, watching as the water of the Thames beyond the pier began to churn as though in a great whirlpool. Lightning streaked down towards the water as it turned, striking over and over. Lestrade and a few officers—including Sergeant Sally Donovan and Phillip Anderson—rushed to the edge of the embankment to look down at the water.

"Brace yourselves!" Lestrade called back to his men, pulling his gun out and readying it.

The whirlpool deepened as the thunder, lightning and wind picked up. After a few moments, the center of the whirlpool shot into the air, causing them to startle and raise their arms to shield themselves before they realized the water had formed a swirling column. And at the top of the column was Celine. With a mermaid's tail.

Lestrade's jaw dropped—_She's a mermaid?!_—as the column slowly drew closer to the embankment, stopping thirty feet from them. The lightning, thunder and wind died down.

"Looks like you _can _follow directions," said Celine as she smiled. "Very good."

"Celine, you are under arrest for the murder of twelve police officers and the attempted murder of sixty-two other officers and citizens," Lestrade told her, aiming his gun at her.

Celine gave a mocking frown. "Oh, so close." She raised her hand, telekinetically pulling every weapon from every officer's hands. They flew through the air and into the Thames. She smiled. "That's better."

"Why are you doing this?" Lestrade yelled up at her. "We've never done anything to you! We never knew people like you existed!"

The column surged forward in her hatred, causing several officers to back away.

"You drove me and mine into hiding!" Celine screamed in fury. "We've had to live in constant fear of discovery! Your arrogance in thinking you should be the predominant species disgusts me!"

Celine raised her arms and struck out, sending all of them backwards at least ten feet. Lestrade pushed himself to his knees, looking around to make sure no one was hurt. He then looked back at Celine, the hopelessness beginning to set in.

_What can we do against such power? No one can fight this._

Celine straightened back up, the water raising her up higher. "But I can take care of that."

She raised her arm towards the sky. Lightning streaked towards her, traveling down her upheld arm. Lestrade pushed himself to his feet, prepared to run.

Celine looked directly at him. "After all, it's not like you can stop me." She grinned wickedly as she drew her arm back and threw it towards him.

Lightning burst from her hand, pushing through the air towards him in a split second. Lestrade ducked, bracing himself for the pain, but nothing happened. He glanced up to see the lightning hitting a barrier five feet in front of him, almost like there was a forcefield there.

"What the…" muttered Lestrade just as a figure sprang into being in front of him.

The man had his hands up, telekinetically holding the lightning back. Just as Lestrade realized that this man must also be a merperson—a merman—he noticed the Belstaff coat and dark curls.

"Sherlock?" Lestrade blurted out, stunned.

Sherlock drew his outstretched hands slowly together, letting the energy of the lightning build, the light in his hands intensifying, before he shot his arms out and sent the lightning back at Celine. Celine jolted back under the assault before glaring at him.

Sherlock straightened himself in front of Lestrade. "Maybe not." Lestrade could see the edge of the detective's smirk from where he stood behind him. "But I can."

* * *

**Six Hours Ago**

Dr. John Watson stood over Sherlock Holmes, who lay on the floor of Dr. Molly Hooper's flat, pale and still. Even the scales on his tail were a pastel blue instead of their usual royal blue, and they were no longer luminescent and gleaming. Molly's hands hovered over Sherlock's torso while John worked on his tail, both of them working frantically to restore his body's water content.

After what felt like an eternity, Sherlock finally started to rouse, groaning and blinking his eyes open.

"Oh, thank God!" Moly exhaled, bending forward from her crouch next to him to embrace him.

Sherlock weakly raised his hands to grasp onto her. "Where is she?" His voice was a rough rasp, so John went to get him a glass of water.

"She left," Molly told him, pulling back to peer into his face. "Are you all right?"

"A little dizzy," he told her as he glanced down at his tail. He cocked his head a little. "But probably won't be for much longer."

"Who was she?" John asked as he returned and handed Sherlock the water.

"You should ask Molly," said Sherlock. "She knew her." He started taking large gulps of water.

"Her name is Celine," Molly told them. "She was part of my pod. She was very gifted, very powerful, but she was also a bully. It wasn't until later that we realized just how dangerous she really was.

"It started out harmless enough. She would complain about how we have to hide ourselves just because of who we are. She would fantasize about the day when we could swim free without looking over our shoulders. Then she started talking about teaching them a lesson and how they should be punished for persecuting us."

"Persecuting?" asked John.

"That's just the thing," said Molly. "In all the history of merfolk, we were never once persecuted by humans. But I guess she viewed having to hide from them as persecution. The mermaid council started keeping an eye on her."

Molly took a steadying breath. "One day—about fifteen years ago now—we couldn't find her. She was just gone. We searched everywhere. She was finally found in St. George's Channel, a few hundred feet from a cruise ship. She was throwing all manner of powers at it: engines overheating, lightning striking it, a whirlpool trying to pull it under, furniture on every deck flying around." She stared down at the floor, a haunted look in her eyes. "It was a…surreal scene."

After a moment, she pulled herself back to the present. "The council finally subdued her, but…nearly half the people on the ship had died."

Sherlock's eyes widened slightly as he remembered the maritime tragedy. "The _Chesterfield_."

Molly nodded. "The council went to one of our own in the government. She was locked up in a veritable fortress." She shrugged. "Or so we thought."

"Sherrinford," Sherlock supplied to John.

John's eyes widened at the news.

"Do you know what her next move might be?" Sherlock asked.

"She always goes after the most powerful first," Molly answered. "So there's no resistance."

"That's why she came here," reasoned Sherlock. "To take you out. But she encountered me and put the pieces together. Chances are, she doesn't know about you, John." He looked over at his friend.

John nodded, pulling out his phone.

"Next would be the police," said Sherlock, pushing himself up to sit. "We need to warn Lestrade."

"Too late," muttered John. He turned his phone so they could see the screen.

It was the BBC News website. The headline read, "Breaking News: Scotland Yard Decimated. Missing Persons Count on the Rise."

"We need to get down there," said Sherlock, moving his hand over his tail and starting to dry himself off.

"Wait, you're still healing!" Molly told him.

"You've helped a great deal, both of you," Sherlock assured them. "I feel much better." He finished drying and transformed back. He jumped to his feet, taking Molly's hand and pulling her towards the door. "Let's go."

John smiled a little as he followed. _At least one thing's going right._

* * *

Sherlock hurried towards the rubble, spotting the police tape roping off an area near the edge of the demolished building. His gaze swept the officers, spotting familiar faces (including Donovan and Anderson). Finally, he saw a familiar head of gray hair.

"Lestrade!" Sherlock called, stalking towards him.

Lestrade turned, looking weary and at least ten years old. "Sherlock, not now—"

"What happened here?" asked Sherlock as he, Molly and John stepped up next to him.

Lestrade stared at him for a moment before exhaling, his shoulders slumping as he stared into the distance, his gaze lost. "I don't even know. It was…" He shook his head, glancing around at the debris.

"Just start from the beginning," John gently told him.

Lestrade took a deep breath and let it out. "This girl showed up, and she…she started talking about us being in charge and she was taking her rightful place above us. She was completely off her rocker." He licked his lips, giving himself time to pause. "But then she…" He shook his head, looking straight at Sherlock. "I was not seeing things. There were at least fifteen witnesses up there."

Sherlock nodded impatiently.

"She moved her hands, and suddenly, it was storming," Lestrade explained. "A bolt of lightning crashed _through _the window and struck one of my officers. She stopped our bullets in midair. **She **shook this building until it collapsed. I know it sounds absolutely barmy, but I swear it's true. You can ask anyone—"

"I believe you," Sherlock quickly waved off. "Did she say anything about where she's going?"

Lestrade stared at him. "You believe me?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised at the things I've seen. Now, the girl. Did she say anything else?"

Lestrade blinked in shock a few times before he shook himself a little. "Erm…yeah, she said that she would be at the St. Katharine Pier at nine o'clock tonight, and she wants the Yard there or she will destroy several populated buildings but wouldn't tell us which ones.

Sherlock immediately turned and walked away from him.

"You're not seriously gonna confront her, are you?" called Lestrade. "This is something you can't handle, Sherlock!"

Sherlock looked back at him. "I have very powerful connections, Lestrade." He turned bac and continued on his way as Molly and John followed.

* * *

Sherlock stood at a window in 221B Baker Street, arms crossed as he stared out at the street.

"We'd never be able to find her before nine," said John as he paced. "What do we do?"

"There's only one thing we can do," muttered Sherlock.

Molly nodded from her spot in front of the fireplace.

John stopped and glanced between Sherlock's back and Molly. "You do realize what that means, don't you? It'd all be over. We'd be exposed."

"We don't have a choice," said Molly. "She won't stop with Scotland Yard. She'll take down Parliament, the Royal Family, civilians just for the fun of it. We're the only ones that can stop her."

John sighed in defeat. "All the years I've spent trying _not _to be found out, and it all ends tonight."

The three of them were silent for several moments.

"There may be a way to minimize exposure," Sherlock spoke up.

John and Molly looked up at him.

Sherlock turned to face them. "Mycroft can disable all CCTV cameras in the area. His men would have enough time before then to evacuate everything within a one-mile radius of that pier."

Molly's eyes brightened slowly.

"The only witnesses would be the Yard," Sherlock finished.

"And you trust them?" asked John, thinking mainly of Donovan and Anderson.

Sherlock paused, shrugging. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Molly nodded. "It's the best plan we have."

Sherlock nodded once and pulled out his phone, dialing. "Mycroft. I need you to listen very carefully."

* * *

Sherlock, John and Molly approached the end of the walkway under Tower Bridge, just off of the plaza that attached to St. Katharine Pier. It was ten till nine, and Scotland Yard had not yet arrived.

"Mycroft's men are holding the perimeter," said Sherlock, pocketing his phone. "You know what to do."

John glanced between the two of them for a moment before he stepped forward and hugged Molly. "Good luck."

"You, too," said Molly, releasing him.

John turned towards Sherlock. "You ready for this? You're about to be even more of a 'freak.'"

"And Donovan thought I could stoop no lower," quipped Sherlock.

The three of them laughed a little. Sherlock extended his hand, and John took it, but then John pulled his friend into a hug for a few seconds. When he pulled away, keeping hold Sherlock's hand, he also grabbed Molly's. The three of them stood in silence for a moment before John nodded and released their hands. He turned himself invisible and presumably headed off towards his position.

Sherlock looked over at Molly before he pulled her into a hug. "Be careful."

"You, too," Molly insisted. "I mean it. No solo stuff. We're doing this together."

Sherlock smiled and pulled away enough to look down at her. "You know me too well."

"Promise me," Molly demanded, her eyes wide.

Sherlock leaned down, sharing a passionate kiss with her. He leaned his forehead against hers, eyes closed. "I promise."

Cars sped down the road nearby and came to a stop across from the embankment. Sherlock and Molly glanced through the trees to see Yard officers getting out and assembling in the plaza.

Sherlock looked back at Molly. "I love you."

"I love you," said Molly.

They kissed one more time before turning invisible, and Sherlock felt Molly's hand leave his as she headed off into position. Sherlock emerged from under Tower Bridge, walking into the plaza on the embankment as Lestrade gave his men a pep talk before the water and weather began to grow malevolent. Sherlock edged his way past the officers as Celine and Lestrade exchanged words and insults.

When the officers were sent to the ground, Sherlock moved to the front of them, readying himself. Celine was calling on lightning, looking directly at Lestrade. Sherlock backed up until he was right in front of his friend, bringing his right hand up in front of himself.

"After all, it's not like you can stop me," said Celine with a wicked grin.

She drew her arm back, and Sherlock braced himself. Celine threw the lightning, and Sherlock caught it, forcing it to stop in front of his hand. He prepared himself and then released his left hand, dropping the invisibility as he turned the left hand to brace against the lightning. He dimly heard his name from behind him as he gathered the energy and threw it back at Celine.

Sherlock straightened as Celine reeled from the hit. "Maybe not." He smirked. "But I can."

"You!" Celine nearly screamed in rage. "I killed you!"

"You really should have finished the job," Sherlock told her. He grabbed onto a police car on the road directly behind him with his telekinesis and threw it into the air, hurtling towards her.

Celine moved her right hand up, sending water up towards the car, and thrust her left palm out, freezing the car in the water. Sherlock aimed his heating power at the gas tank, which then exploded in front of her. She screamed in alarm and anger as she fell down into the river.

Sherlock rushed over to the embankment to freeze the surface of the water, but as soon as he started, Celine burst from the surface of it, her water column now more like a wave with her on the cusp of it. Sherlock was thrown backwards, hitting the bricked pavement underneath him and turning to his side as he groaned.

"You?!" she shrieked. "You puny thing?! How could you think that _you _were a match for _me_?!"

Sherlock chuckled as he pulled himself up onto his knees, still hunched over himself. His chuckles grew louder.

"What are you laughing at?!" Celine screamed.

Sherlock's laugh subsided. "Sorry. Did I say 'I'?" He looked up at Celine with his own grin, which caught her off guard. "I meant 'we.'"

* * *

Lestrade broke out of his stupor as the Girl with a Dolphin statue in the fountain to his left went airborne, flying at Celine, who ducked it. Then, one of the ticket booths for the St. Katharine Docks on his right went into the air, this time hitting Celine in the tail. She recovered as Lestrade looked to his left to see John Watson turning visible as he approached from the left of the plaza. He looked to his right to see Molly Hooper turning visible as she approached from Tower Bridge. Lestrade didn't think he would ever be able to pick his jaw up again.

John and Molly stepped closer towards Sherlock as he pulled himself to his feet. Celine screamed in rage as she swung her arm around towards them, sending a hurricane of wind at them all. Molly moved her arm into the air, a current of wind kicking up and interacting with Celine's. The two currents hit each other and swirled around, forming a cyclone. Molly thrust her hand forward, and the cyclone moved off of the plaza and over the Thames.

Celine clenched her fingers in towards her palms, as though grasping onto something, and the cyclone splintered, dissipating as she yanked her closed fists down to her sides. John stepped forward, his palm thrust towards her. The wave of water supporting Celine froze, but when Lestrade took a second look, he realized that it hadn't turned to ice. It had simply hardened, like cured glass. And Celine's tail was stuck in it.

Celine's face twisted in rage, and she raised her hands to the sky. Lightning flashed overhead as the charge in the air seemed to build. With an almighty crash of thunder, dozens of lightning bolts split the clouds, streaking towards the ground. John reached his arms up, channeling the lightning towards himself. He then dropped to one knee, slamming his palms onto the pavement. The lightning streaked from his fingers, across the plaza, down the embankment and into the water.

Celine raised her arms, and a wall of water—a tsunami—rose above the dock, towering over them. With a monstrous thundering, the wave surged down towards them. Sherlock raised his arms, halting the wall of water above them. The water churned as it pushed against the hold Sherlock had on it. Sherlock grimaced as he strained against the force Celine was exerting against him.

Above the water, the sky was starting to roll again, the clouds swirling as lightning crackled and thunder sounded. Sherlock glanced over at John, who was helping to keep the water at bay. Lightning crashed to the pavement as the wind whipped at coats and faces. Molly stepped forward, her determined gaze on the sky. Her fingers extended and spread, she started circling her right hand over her head as her left was held steady next to her at shoulder height. The wind started to shift as the clouds darkened further. As the wind swept towards the river, the lightning jumped towards Celine, striking around her several times and shattering the frozen water underneath her. Celine fell to the river as the wave of water was forced back from the embankment and back into the Thames.

As John moved to the embankment's edge, Sherlock looked over at Molly with a surprised look.

Molly gave him a smile and a shrug. "It's called 'Turning the Tide.' Using an opponent's own storm against them." She went after John.

Lestrade was amazed to see a fascinated smile on Sherlock's face as he joined the other two.

Celine suddenly appeared, rising from the river on the top of another water column. And she looked pissed off. John raised his arm towards her, but Celine raised her own, and they seemed to be in a battle of wills. Sherlock aimed his hand at her, kicking up a windstorm. Celine flung her other hand up, blocking the wind from hitting her. Molly stretched a hand up towards the sky. Lightning flashed as Molly then aimed her power at Celine, who held the lightning at bay with the same hand holding the wind back. She was countering all three attacks at once without breaking a sweat. She was even smirking.

"She's too powerful," said John. "We need more."

"On three, then," said Sherlock. "One…two…now!"

The three of them gave a final shove with their respective attacks and then they dove off the edge of the embankment.

Lestrade glanced around at his officers, all of whom looked just as stunned with what had unfolded in the last five minutes as he was. He spotted Donovan to his right, who looked back at him with wide eyes and slack jaw. Together, they turned and ran for railing, looking down into the river. The surface around Celine was calm; there was no one else in the river.

_Where are they? _Lestrade wondered.

Molly suddenly burst through the surface just off the pier twenty feet in front of Celine, orange scales forming a top, just like Celine. And if Lestrade looked close enough, he could see orange scales at her waist through the water, leading down to a tail. Next to her on either side, two mermen—white and blue tails, and bare torsos—swam just under the surface of the water towards Celine.

_My God, _thought Lestrade. _It really is true._

Molly thrust her closed fist towards the sky, and something sparkled on her finger. It was a ring, and the blue stone set into it was starting to shine, as though it were producing light. The next second, blue light burst from the stone, shooting up into the sky. It spread over them, filling the sky.

Sherlock and John surfaced on either side of Celine, raising their hands up. Water rose from the Thames, forming a long tendril of water in front of both of them. The tall water columns began to move in a circle around Celine. The columns began to spread, enveloping Celine, until she was caught in the middle of a tornado of water. Molly kept her ring pointed skywards, making sure what Lestrade now realized was moonlight kept shining down on all four of them.

Lightning began zigzagging its way through the water twister, and the moonlight began to congregate inside it as they heard Celine screaming in rage. The light grew as the water spun faster and the lightning strikes intensified. Lestrade put up an arm to shield his eyes as the light shone out from the center of it all, flashing as bright as the sun as an unearthly crash echoed over the river.

And then…it was all gone.

Lestrade lowered his arm as he opened his eyes, looking down at the Thames. Nothing. They were all gone.

Donovan looked up at him, her brows together in concern. "What happened to them?"

* * *

John blinked a couple times, shaking his head a little. He glanced around in the dark water, disoriented, before it all came back to him. He turned towards the surface and powered his tail forward, breaking through and gasping in air. He spun back to where Celine had been in the river, but there was nothing there. He glanced around, but the only people there were the officers above him at the embankment's railing.

"John!" he heard Lestrade calling, but he just turned on the spot looking everywhere for his friends.

There was a splash and a gasp, and John turned to see Sherlock at the surface fifteen feet away. John released a bit of his tension.

Sherlock also glanced every which way before looking over at John with concern in his eyes. "Molly?"

John gave an uncertain shrug, shaking his head.

Sherlock's eyes cut over to where Molly had been not one minute earlier. "Molly." He dove under the surface, and John followed suit.

John swam over in the direction of where Molly might have fallen, his eyes dancing about, looking for anything out of place. Light suddenly bloomed in the water to his right. Sherlock had formed a moderate-sized air pocket in front his hand, and a fire burned in this air pocket. It was quite ingenious.

Sherlock was moving frantically through the water, searching for any sign of Molly. John joined him, moving just on the outskirts of the reach of his light, searching. And then, just before Sherlock moved onto another area, the faint light reaching to where John was searching landed on a sparkle of silver.

John instantly sent a sharp current of water at Sherlock to get his attention and then headed for where he had seen the silver. The light grew as Sherlock joined him, and now, John could see a hand with a moon ring on it floating close to the riverbed.

Sherlock passed him as he spotted it as well, and they came upon Molly floating unconscious, pale and still in the water. Sherlock extinguished his light and quickly took Molly in his arms. John went for the surface as Sherlock did the same, breaking through.

Sherlock pulled Molly close, holding her head above water as her body floated on the surface. "Molly?" He reached forward, his fingers on the pulse point just below her jaw as he leaned his head to listen for her breathing.

John drifted closer, trying to think of a way to help. _She's much too pale._

Sherlock's eyes widened as his head came back up. "No. Molly?" He pinched her nose closed and leaned forward, giving her two breaths before coming back up. "Molly!" He pressed onto her chest, surely using telekinesis to compensate for his lack of power behind the compressions in the water.

After some more breaths and compressions, he leaned his ear towards her mouth, listening as he took her pulse.

"No, no, no," said Sherlock, the panic in his face as he tried breaths and compressions again.

He paused after a while, and there was no improvement. Almost with a wild look in his eyes now, he raised his hand above his head, and lightning flashed above them. It streaked down to his hand as John jolted away from him, and then Sherlock pressed his hand to Molly's chest, discharging the electricity into her. Molly convulsed as the charge ran through her, before her body floated limply in the water again.

Sherlock raised his hand once more for the lightning before hitting Molly with it. She was still lying motionless. Sherlock's fingers were pressed into her pulse point, and his face slowly began to crumble. His brows drew together as his jaw trembled.

"No…" he mumbled as he gripped harder onto Molly. His face lowered as his eyes clenched tightly. "Molly…" He pulled her towards him, gripping her tightly as he breathed heavily, trying to breathe through the pain.

John watched his friend fall apart in front of him before glancing up at the dock. Lestrade, Donovan, Anderson and the other officers stared down at the scene, mournful looks on their faces.

All of a sudden, there was an intake of breath, and John spun back to his friends to see Sherlock yanking himself back from Molly, a shocked look on his face.

"Molly!" said Sherlock, smiling as his eyes danced back and forth across her face.

"Hey…" said Molly weakly.

"Oh, God!" said Sherlock, pulling her back into his arms, this time with a smile on his face. "I thought I lost you!"

John exhaled a sigh of relief, and he started looking around for a way for them to get back up to the dock a hundred feet above them.

Sherlock pulled away to look Molly in the eye. "Don't you ever do that again."

Molly smiled, laughing a little. "I'll try."

Sherlock quickly leaned forward and kissed Molly passionately, and John had to smile at the sounds of shock from the Yard.

Sherlock pulled back, framing her face in his hands. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost you."

Molly smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," said Sherlock.

"Yeah, good, but is that psycho gone?" Donovan called down.

Sherlock and Molly looked up at the dock, suddenly remembering that they had an audience.

"Yes, I felt it," Molly called up. "She's gone."

John caught Sherlock's eye and motioned towards the pier. The three of them swam towards the pier, Sherlock supporting Molly all the way. John pulled himself out first, drying himself off, before turning to help pull Molly up onto the pier. John dried her with his own powers to give her a chance to rest as Sherlock pulled himself up as well.

"Whoa…" said Lestrade, who had come down the ramp from the embankment and was staring down at Molly's and Sherlock's tails. The next second, Molly transformed back to human form, which caused Lestrade to jump a little in shock. "That's…surreal."

"You get used to it," said Sherlock just before he transformed back as well. He stepped over and took Molly's hands, helping her to stand. "You all right?"

"Yes, I am now," said Molly, gratefully leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her.

The four of them walked up the ramp and onto the embankment as Scotland Yard stared at them.

"So…" said John, looking around at them all.

"Yeah…" said Lestrade, glancing around at his men (and women) before looking back at the trio. "Well…I think I speak for all of us when I say…we'll help cover up this whole thing."

John smiled a little as he glanced at Sherlock.

"Anyone that may have seen what happened—" continued Lestrade as officers around him nodded.

"Already taken care of," Sherlock told him.

"It is?" asked Lestrade.

"Mycroft evacuated everyone within a one-mile radius," Sherlock replied. "You're the only witnesses."

"Oh…" said Lestrade. "Well, your secret's safe with us."

"Is it?" asked John, glancing at Donovan and Anderson.

"Yes," said Lestrade firmly. Surprisingly, Donovan and Anderson nodded their agreement.

"Well…that's one less worry," said Molly.

"Well, this is…" said Lestrade, shaking his head in disbelief. "I almost want to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming."

"It is a hard thing to accept," said Sherlock. "Even if it is happening to you."

"How _did _this happen?" asked Donovan.

John glanced at his friends and smiled with them before looking back at the Yard. "It's a long story."

* * *

THE END!


End file.
